Discovering Russian Literature discussion

Use this for the discussions on Books 4 & 5.

I always enjoy reading the descriptions of Father Ferapont...the "holy fool". The scene with Father Ferapont and the monk from from Obdorsk always makes me laugh. Perhaps we all have our moments, when it comes to ridiculously following or adoring some person (and this tendency certainly isn't limited to the religious context) so this part of the book always makes me cringe and laugh and it always promotes self-examination.

I think for book 4 what stands out for me most is the first meeting of the school boys. I like that it is set up so well and hinted that it will be important later, it is what gives the book it multi-story, "Pulp Fiction" feel to it. I guess most of this thread will take up Book 5 I'm sure.

Can anyone tell me whether Fyodor a common name? Why Dostoevsky has named one of his more despicable characters after himself? I feel is it not really a coincidence.

Fyodor himself is so dishonest that he assumes everyone around him is equally dishonest. He is consumed with suspicion and mistrust opposite of faith which means he is not capable of love.

his fear of an impending epileptic seizure ostensibly as proof of his fear for Fyodor Pavlovich. Foreshadowing?

Fyodor is the Russian version of the name. Theodore for one. It was also a pretty common name but I can't say if the father is based on Dostoevsky himself. This book does have a lot of references to his son Alexi who died early from epileptic seizures.

Ken wrote: "I like that it is set up so well and hinted that it will be important later, it is what gives the book it multi-story, "Pulp Fiction" feel to it. "

I like the Pulp Fiction reference. I agree. I love the fact that this book is a mixture of serious religious/philosophical questions and screwball comedy.

I've been trying to figure out which brother I agree with the most, philosophically. It's not going to be Alyosha (because I'm not at all religious). It's not going to be Dmitri (because he seems like a jerk). I keep thinking it will be Ivan. I particularly liked the part where he implied that man has no business contemplating God because we are too stupid to do so. (Of course, then he lost me with his opinions on personal freedom).

Ken wrote: "Fyodor is the Russian version of the name. Theodore for one. It was also a pretty common name but I can't say if the father is based on Dostoevsky himself. This book does have a lot of references t..."

Thanks anyway. Yes this may be a lot autobiographical than The Idiot. Dostoevsky son died at 3, of epilepsy. After his child’s death Dostoevsky writes The Brothers Karamazov (though he’d started it before Alyosha’s death. It's like Shakespeare’s loss of his son, Hamnet before writing Hamlet. But here it's not about his son I think. Critics say Dostoevsky has put parts of himself into each of the four children involved in this story. Some have argued that Alyosha represents his spirit, Ivan his mind, and Dmitri his body or heart. But I’m not so convinced Dostoevsky intended to make the characters that easy on us, because, as we all know, life is not that simple.

However the story of Natasia where she explains she has lost her 3 year old son can be Dostoevsky experience of losing a child?

P.S. the forth child I'm assuming is Smerdyakov who has many of the characteristics of the other three sons: the motivation of Dmitri, the intellectual ability of Ivan, and the outward innocence of Alyosha. Then he is plagued with seizures like Dostoevsky and his son who died as infancy. Wonder if he blamed himself for his son Alyosha's illness.

Smredyakov...yeeeaaaah I don't want to spoil but try not to become attached to him (don't like to think of him when the lights are off). I would say his son is a parrallel of Dimitri, a heavy subversion and polar opposite of Alyosha (like a bizarro world version), and a more forceful (warning I'm foreshadowing) Ivan.

This book has so much allusion to many different things but I assure you his son figured in a lot of it.

Ken wrote: "Smredyakov...yeeeaaaah I don't want to spoil but try not to become attached to him (don't like to think of him when the lights are off)..."

(MAY BE FORESHADOWING *)
He is quite a something, isn't he? Smerdyakov is a child of violence conceived in violence. I don't know if we are to expect any good from him. To me his role is almost the physical manifestation of Ivan's subconcious through out.

I already read the book so I know how Smerdyakov turns out. Just didn't want to spoil.